CONTACT

May 22, 2009

Trolley Raid

I received this in my inbox today:

dear compa??era/os,

yesterday morning, as one of my 16 year old female students waited at the Old Town trolley station to go to school, she was approached by border patrol agents and asked for "papers" - she showed them her school ID and explained that she was on her way to school, but she was continually harassed and asked questions about her "status" here in the U.S. . . . having called her parents during the exchange with officers, her uncle (U.S. citizen) immediately went to the trolley station and explained to officers that his niece was only 16, on her way to school, and he would take her from there, HOWEVER, because she was "unable to provide proper documentation", she was detained by the border patrol officers (with several other people, including other minors) and taken to the Otay holding station . .

as soon as myself and her parents got wind of what had happened we contacted local advocacy groups who then contacted the Mexican consulate, and we were hopeful that the consulate and their lawyers could get custody of the student because of her age, and for the way she was unlawfully questioned for identification at a public transit station . . .

additionally, several community members (teachers, principals, community activists, etc.) immediately wrote numerous letters attesting to this student's character, her academic excellence, and how she is revered both at her school and in her community.

despite all of this, the student was deported to Tijuana within 6 hours of detainment - a place where she knows no one, had no money and no resources . . .

i don't think enough people are aware that this is happening. and i also don't believe that anyone who now knows that this kind of indiscriminate "rounding up" of our children is happening, can stand by and do nothing. i will not stand by and allow my students' basic human rights to be violated - our children especially should not be subjected to the fascist operations/interrogations of local "law enforcement" and i ask that you join me tomorrow, along with the American Friends Service Committee, to protest these actions. . . .